Residents of Pune metropolis got here out in massive numbers to vote within the Maharashtra Meeting elections on Wednesday. From younger professionals to folks, they voiced a combination of considerations, expectations and frustrations associated to jobs, infrastructure, accountable political management and nationwide priorities.
At MIT World Peace College in Kothrud, siblings Nishad and Swapnil Mane, each IT engineers, had been impressed by the election course of. The preparations, together with a ban on cellphones, made them really feel safe. Each mentioned their votes had been pushed by considerations about employment and a need for unity.
“We solid our vote based mostly on employment and different main points as a substitute of divisive politics over linguistic or regional divisions,” mentioned Nishad.
For Rahul Pandey, one other IT skilled from Kothrud, voting was not only a routine train; it was an opportunity to push for actual change in a metropolis dealing with a number of issues.
“This time feels totally different,” Pandey mentioned. “We’ve handled unhealthy roads and visitors jams; it’s exhausting. I’m voting for candidates who prioritise these issues and deal with unemployment too.”
Regardless of his frustration, his hope for a greater Pune makes Pandey prove to vote in elections.
Saloni and Brijesh Kataria have a broader perspective. With their two little kids, one simply eight months previous, they got here to the polling sales space to vote for the nationwide events they assist.
Sayali Nikte, a 34-year-old architect, has a extra native focus. Dashing to solid her vote earlier than heading to work, she defined how her occupation influenced her selection. “It at all times begins from smaller points. That’s how I approached my vote. I picked somebody who’s made a visual distinction in my ward and space,” she mentioned.
Not everybody, nevertheless, left polling cubicles with optimism. Chartered accountant Anagha Pathak, who voted at SP School, expressed her disappointment with the dearth of accountability from elected leaders. “It’s the identical each election,” she mentioned. “In the course of the marketing campaign, leaders come, make massive guarantees, and ask for our votes. However after the outcomes, they disappear.”
These voices from Pune are as numerous as the town itself, but they share widespread threads. Employment, higher infrastructure and accountable management are on the coronary heart of what folks right here need. Whereas some dream of change on the nationwide degree, others need higher roads and a responsive authorities.
As the town waits for the election outcomes, the hopes and considerations of its residents underscore the necessity for change and a authorities that addresses their points.
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